Ministerial Forum

A key component of the PEMSEA regional mechanism is the Ministerial Forum, a triennial event that serves as an opportunity for the concerned government ministers of the region to meet and engage in policy dialogue. The Ministerial Forum provides direction pertaining to key concerns for regional cooperation and expresses the fulfillment of their international commitments related to sustainable development. It receives reports from the East Asian Seas Partnership Council and the recommendations of the triennial East Asian Seas Congress.

To date, five Ministerial Forums have been conducted, each with milestone events that continue to push for a sustainable resources system for the Seas of East Asia.

Da Nang, Vietnam (2015)

Ministers and heads of delegations from 11 countries of the East Asian Seas (EAS) signed the Da Nang Compact at the Fifth Ministerial Forum. The Compact is the region’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other relevant international and regional commitments related to coasts and oceans. It revisits the regional coastal and marine strategy, the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), and lays down the post-2015 Strategic Targets of PEMSEA.